FACED with a scantily-clad Maori warrior whose tattooed buttocks were bursting out of a thong, the Duchess of Cambridge fixed eyes front and stuck to protocol today.

Eyes front! The Duchess comes face to face with a Maori warrior [REUTERS/AP]

"It was super," she said of his performance at a traditional ceremonial welcome for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Government House in Wellington shortly after the couple arrived in New Zealand on a landmark tour with their infant son Prince George.

Eight-months-old George was upstairs with his nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, 43, on a play date with another baby, the granddaughter of Governor Genernal Sir Jerry Mateparae and his wife Lady Janine.

In a change of plan, he was taken to the Governor General¹s residence before joining his parents at a secret hideaway, where they will chill out for the next 36 hours, getting over their jetlag before resuming official duties on the tour. The original plan had been for him and Maria to go straight to the hideaway while William and Kate attended the welcome ceremony.

It rained on their parade but that did not stop the Maoris putting on a performance on the sodden lawn of the windswept Governor General's official residence.

When they arrived, the royal couple were greeted by two Maori elders. Lewis Moeau and Hiria Hape first shook hands with William and Kate, then gave them a traditional hongi welcome by rubbing noses.

William was the first to perform the hongi, pressing his nose and forehead to Lewis and Hira.

Kate, who doesn't have her husband's experience of the traditional greeting, smiled broadly as she stopped up to follow suit.

A group of around 35 semi-naked Maoris then performed the official welcome - or powhiri ­ to establish whether the visitors were friends or foe.

Kate looked slightly startled as three male toa, or warriors, picked up spears and advanced towards the couple uttering war cries.

The Duchess of Cambridge carried Prince George who looked happy and relaxed [REUTERS]

Prince William and Kate Middleton were greeted when they landed in New Zealand [PA]

Kate is just so perfect - she is a proper princess.

A local girl

The three warriors performed an intricate and intimidating series of martial arts moves before one offered William, 31, a raku tapu spear.

At a signal from Mr Moeau, who was on hand to explain all the intricacies of the performance to the royal couple, the Prince picked up the spear from the grass, all the while keeping eye contact with the warrior.

Kate and William were then officially cleared as "friends" and welcomed onto the main grass area.

The Maori Cultural Group performed a wailing call (karanga) and the Haka Powhiri welcome dance.

William and Kate were introduced to members of the group but this time with a handshake.

The Governor General and his wife then welcomed the couple to Government House, where they will be based for most of their time in Wellington.

A group of schoolboys from nearby Rongotai College performed another haka before head boy Conor Flynn and deputy head boy Luka Hogervorst were introduced to the Duke and Duchess.

From a saluting base, Prince William took the royal salute, a 21-gun salute was and the band played both the British and New Zealand national anthems.

Despite the driving rain and icy temperatures, William and Kate then joked with children from five local schools.

One little girl said: "Kate is just so perfect - she is a proper princess. She said her hair was stringy because of the rain but it looked amazing to me.

"They said they were really excited to be in New Zealand and they were sorry they couldn't bring baby George outside but it was too rainy."

Prince George looked playful as the family landed in New Zealand [REUTERS]

Baby George had a full head of blonde hair as he arrived in New Zealand [PA]

Kate was caught out by a gust of wind [AP]

Kaya Nielsen,11, told Kate that she had written her a letter wishing her good luck for the tour.

But after standing in the rain for more that an hour, the ink had run, making it unreadable.

"Don't worry that's very kind of you" said Kate adding: "It'll be top secret!"

Mackenzie Verstappen from Te Aro school told William: "You are very handsome" and he replied: "Thank you, I don't get many compliments like that!"

William's bald spot was becoming ever more noticeable as the rain dampened his thatch.

Rayen Naidu, 11, showed William some drawings he had done specially, and the second in line to the throne admitted art was hardly his forte.

"I'm useless at it. I can only do stick figures and they are rubbish" he said.

The royal couple will return to Government House on Wednesday, when his mood-permitting, they will bring George to attend his first official royal engagement with 10 other babies and their parents at a party organised by the child welfare agency, Plunket.

A gay couple are among the parents they will meet.

Earlier, the eight-month-old future King was carried off a Royal New Zealand Air Force plane at a military terminal in Wellington after a 27-hour journey from London.

Kate smiled as she is handed a bunch of flowers by schoolchildren [AP]

Prince William receives a Maori welcome known as a 'Hongi' [REUTERS]

George, in a cream jumper, white shorts and booties, was carried off the plane by his mother, who was dressed in a red coat and matching pillbox hat.

The little Prince was wriggling but looked happy and relaxed.

Kate was wearing a Catherine Walker coat, Gina Foster hat, and a diamond and platinum silver fern brooch, depicting the New Zealand national symbol, which was given to the Queen by the women of Auckland during her Commonwealth tour of 1953-54. French-born Ms Walker, who died aged 65 in 2010, was Princess Diana's favourite fashion designer.

The company is now run by her husband Ismail.

Their journey began with a scheduled Qantas flight in First Class via Dubai to Sydney, where the young family, accompanied by 11 aides and Scotland Yard bodyguards were collected by the New Zealand air force 757.

Kate also receives the traditional welcome [REUTERS]

In Sydney, William, clutching a £6 kangaroo backpack believed to be a present from the Australian Koala Foundation, carried George through the airport terminal. The infant Prince looked happy and lively, jiggling his arms and legs.

Kate, wearing a MaxMara dress she first sported when she was three months pregnant with George, carried him onto the military plane.

Their arrival marked the start of a three-week tour to New Zealand and Australia hailed as the biggest since Prince Charles and Princess Diana went Down Under in 1983 with a then nine-month-old Prince William.